Transliteration:( Wa laa taqooloo limaa tasifu alsinatukumul kaziba haaza halaalunw wa haazaa haraamul litaftaroo 'alal laahil kazib; innal lazeena yaftaroona 'alal laahil kaziba laa yuflihoon )
116. And do not say, based on what your tongues describe falsely: "This is lawful [260] and this is unlawful," to forge a lie against Allah. Indeed, those who forge lies against Allah will not prosper [261].
[260] This verse warns against declaring things lawful or unlawful based on personal whims or cultural fancies rather than divine guidance. Everything Allah has provided for mankind is inherently lawful except what Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet ﷺ have explicitly forbidden. This maintains the balance of divine law and prevents innovation or false prohibitions.
Allah says:
“He it is who created for you all…” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:29) — emphasizing the inherent permissibility of Allah’s provisions. For example, animals sacrificed to idols, when slaughtered properly in the name of Allah, become lawful to eat because they are not explicitly forbidden by Allah.
[261] Declaring something forbidden without proof is tantamount to lying against Allah. Those who impose unlawful status on permissible acts—such as claiming food offered at religious gatherings like Meelad Shareef or Fateha is forbidden without evidence—are guilty of falsehood.
Such wrongful declarations cause division and confusion and do not bring success or prosperity. True success lies in following the clear commands of Allah and His Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ taught that what Allah has declared lawful is lawful, and what He declared forbidden is forbidden. Where the divine texts are silent, permissibility is the default. Allah says:
“Allah forgive you, why did you not permit them?” (Surah At-Tawbah 9:43) — indicating that forbidding something without Allah’s instruction is blameworthy.
The tafsir of Surah An-Nahl verse 116 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Nahl ayat 114 which provides the complete commentary from verse 114 through 117.
(16:116) And do not utter falsehoods by letting your tongues declare: “This is lawful”[116] and “That is unlawful,” thus fabricating lies against Allah. Surely those who fabricate lies against Allah will never prosper.
116. This verse clearly shows that none but Allah has the right to declare a thing to be lawful or unlawful. Or, in other words, the right of making laws exclusively rests with Allah. Therefore, any person who will dare to decide about the lawful and the unlawful will transgress his powers. Of course, a person, who acknowledges the divine law as the final authority, may deduce from it whether a certain thing or action is lawful or unlawful.
The arrogation of the right of determining the lawful and the unlawful has been declared to be a falsehood on Allah for two reasons:
(1) Such a person, so to say, claims that what he declares to be lawful or unlawful, disregarding the authority of the divine Book, has been made lawful or unlawful by God.
(2) He means to claim that Allah has given up the authority of making lawful and unlawful and has thus left man free to make his own laws for the conduct of life. It is obvious that each of these claims will be a falsehood and a false imputation to Allah.
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